Arrests at Southern Border Hit 17-Year-Low Under Trump Admin

As the mainstream media continues to trot out its dog-and-pony shows about news that doesn’t matter, President Donald Trump is making real headlines at our southern border and keeping his promises to America.

Department of Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly brought great news to a Senate panel on Wednesday. In written testimony submitted prior to the hearing, Kelly said that fewer than 12,500 people were apprehended trying to cross the U.S. southern border illegally in March, according to Time.

That figure was down from more than 43,000 in December and was the lowest monthly total in at least 17 years. It followed on the heels of another dramatic drop in January, when DHS reported 27 percent fewer illegal crossers apprehended than in each of the last three full months of President Barack Obama’s administration.

There could be a number of reasons. The wall? Not yet. More border police? Nope. Fewer people wanting to cross? As if.

In testimony for the Senate’s Homeland Security Committee, Kelly put credit for the terrific numbers right where it belongs. He said it is “no accident” and credited President Donald Trump’s tough approach to immigration and deportation.

Making the U.S. a less welcoming place for illegal entry is an effective deterrent and one more layer of protection for our borders.

Kelly testified that illegal entry attempts by families and children traveling alone have decreased sharply. In March, fewer than 1,100 people were detained traveling in family groups and fewer than 1,000 children were caught at the border.

Kelly discussed the controversial practice of separating parents and children, according to the The Associated Press. The policy would actually be an effective deterrent since the majority of families and children come from the longer distances of Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador.

Parents knowing there was a likelihood they would be separated from the children would be less likely to undertake the journey.

All of this good news was perfectly timed, as proposals for the southern border wall were due to the government on Tuesday. Bid requests were issued in March and the Trump administration hoped to have prototypes ready for final selection this year, according to The Washington Times.

Although the Trump administration’s request for Congress to approve a $2 billion down payment on the wall seems unlikely for this year, The Associated Press reported that Homeland Security spokesman David Lapan told reporters on Tuesday that his department already had the funding for the prototypes to get the process started.